06/16/2026
Located at 201 W. Washington Street in Charles Town, this stuccoed building tells a layered story of nearly two centuries of use and change. Currently home to Double Iris Yoga and Massage it was originally constructed in the first two decades of the 19th century of timber filled with brick nogging and a stone foundation. It is attached to its neighbor at 205 W. Washington Street, forming part of a continuous historic streetscape.
Over time, the building adapted to the needs of the community in very visible ways. The second-story windows retain nine-over-six light sash, a detail consistent with its early nineteenth-century origins, while the first floor now carries a 1940s storefront alteration that reflects a later commercial era. During renovation work in the early 1990s, interior features from the original period, including fully paneled chimney walls, were uncovered, offering a rare glimpse into its early construction and domestic life.
Historic maps and records show a long commercial history. On the 1885 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, the first available, it was listed as vacant, but by 1892 it appears as a two-story grocery. By 1897, an addition had been built off the back. By 1907, the property had evolved into a saloon and pool hall, it was sometime between 1903 and 1907 that a roof was built connecting it to its neighboring building. By 1913, the front section returned to its use as a grocery store, and the pool hall remained in the back. What is clear from these early maps is that the use of the building was continuously shifting as was its shape.
What do you remember this building being in more recent years?
